Columbia, Md.-based MedStar Health's telehealth journey began in 2018 during what Bill Sheahan, the organization's chief innovation officer and vice president, called the "era of telehealth exploration."
Initially, MedStar's efforts focused on consultative services, particularly in emergency medicine. MedStar launched the Telehealth Innovation Center in 2017 and began leveraging eVisit-related virtual care technology in 2018 to enhance operational efficiency through tele-triage, allowing emergency physicians to triage patients remotely.
"2018 was pre-pandemic, and we were interested in learning more about telehealth," Mr. Sheahan told Becker's. "We started by using tele-triage in emergency departments, which brought significant operational efficiency and allowed us to distribute physician expertise across our system."
This approach expanded to include urgent care centers and home health agencies, where remote emergency physicians provided consultative services to both urgent care providers and home health nurses.
Post-pandemic transformation
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated telehealth adoption, both for providers and consumers. MedStar quickly adapted, using eVisit's platform to continue patient care when in-person visits were not possible. However, Mr. Sheahan emphasized that the pandemic primarily shifted in-person visits to video rather than transforming care delivery.
"Post-pandemic, we focused on deconstructing care models to determine what should be done digitally and how remote teams could support this," Mr. Sheahan said. "This allowed us to maximize our real estate investment for higher complexity cases and improve patient satisfaction with lower-cost digital work."
Integrating new technology into existing workflows is a common challenge for healthcare providers. MedStar addressed this by not just layering technology over old processes but by rethinking care delivery. They deconstructed care models and optimized the use of remote teams to free up primary care physicians for more complex cases and new patients.
"Integration is about more than just technology; it's about redesigning care processes and training staff to embrace these changes," Mr. Sheahan said. "We ensured that remote teams worked seamlessly with in-person teams, creating a cohesive hybrid model."
Impact on patient outcomes and operational efficiency
MedStar's telehealth strategy has yielded significant improvements in patient outcomes and operational efficiency. The MedStar Acute Care Coordinating Center, for instance, now conducts more than 100,000 consults annually, providing emergency medicine expertise across the system. This model has been extended to various specialties, including cardiology, pediatrics and behavioral health.
"We've created 25,000 new access points for same-day or next-day care in primary care alone," Mr. Sheahan said. "This transformation has improved patient experience and quality of care, ensuring that wherever patients enter our network, they receive consistent, high-quality care."
Looking ahead
Mr. Sheahan said he is excited about the potential for telehealth within hospital walls. MedStar plans to extend the same principles of remote care to inpatient settings, allowing specialists to consult on cases in remote hospitals via push-button technology.
"We're focusing on hospital care transformation, integrating digital strategies to improve inpatient care," Mr. Sheahan said. "This includes rethinking patient rooms and the technology within them to enhance care delivery."
For other health systems looking to embark on digital health initiatives, Mr. Sheahan's advice is clear: focus on care transformation, not just technology. Emphasize the integration of people, processes, and technology, and work closely with frontline staff to ensure practical, impactful solutions.
"Innovation requires getting your hands dirty and partnering with those doing the work," Mr. Sheahan said. "Technology should solve real problems and integrate seamlessly into care delivery."